Cedar Rapids Prairie opened the fall boys’ golf season with record-setting performance

Cedar Rapids Prairie closed with a notable feat, qualifying for the Class 4A state golf meet for the fourth time in school history and first in four years.

The Hawks returned four starters and opened this season with another noteworthy accomplishment.

Prairie shot a team 18-hole record 292 and matched its best finish at the Mississippi Valley Conference Super Meet. The Hawks placed eighth at a power-packed Linn-Mar Invitational on Monday at Hunters Ridge Golf Course in Marion.

“We're really pleased,” Prairie Coach Erik Columbus said about the start. “One of our keys is our depth.”

Columbus said the team doesn’t consider the program split between varsity and junior varsity. They describe it as “Varsity A” and “Varsity B” squads. The J.V. shot 308 in a meet at Gardner Golf Course, which could best some school’s starting lineup.

“We had four kids in the 70s. It’s a good problem, I guess. All those guys did all the right things in the offseason.”

Spring and summer golf has been a regular catalyst for improvement for the fall season. Columbus said 10 to 12 golfers even played in a winter simulator golf league before filling local summer competitions, like the Cedar Rapids Optimist Junior Golf Association meets and the Rotary Pribyl.

“Kind of a combination,” Columbus said. “We encourage them to play in the summer. … I think that helped them come into the spring and summer tournaments. They had some pretty good results right away.

“Our guys lived at Airport National. They take good care of us.”

Junior Henry Sobaski is the top returning golfer and seniors Tony Boelter, Emmett Stockdale and C.J. Keenan are back. The senior trio have provided leadership for the program, including starters Jeter Lewis and Connor Columbus.

  Buy Photo

Sobaski, a two-time state participant, shot 71 to lead the Hawks at the Super Meet. Boelter has started strong in his second season as a varsity starter. He shot 1-under 71 Monday, tying for fourth. He is averaging 71.5 per round and his gains have boosted the Hawks.

“No surprise there,” Columbus said. “He had a great first year on varsity last year and just finished with our 21 st-lowest average since 2010.”

Columbus has embraced the opportunity to coach his son, Connor, on the varsity. He made one appearance last year but has moved into the lineup.

“It's been fun to him out there,” Columbus said. “It's been it's been real enjoyable coaching him and seeing him play some varsity.”

Prairie is 14 th in the state for team combined adjusted average at 152.90. They are a little more than three strokes back of No. 6 Cedar Rapids Xavier and one behind No. 11 Linn-Mar among Metro and Iowa City teams. Prairie put itself in position to contend for its first divisional title, leading the MVC Valley after the Super Meet.

The Hawks aren’t looking ahead to titles and another state trip. They are concentrating on what is immediately in front of them.

“The only thing that matters is the next shot is what we're saying and the results will take care of themselves,” Prairie Coach Erik Columbus said. “We don't get too focused on results. Execution and staying in the present are our big mantras.

“It doesn’t matter if you made three triples or you made three albatrosses in a row, you got just handle yourself the same way.”

CLOYD RUNNER-UP AT HOME MEET

Linn-Mar senior Christian Cloyd tied for second at the Linn-Mar Invitational on Monday at Hunters Ridge. Cloyd shot 2-under 70, matching North Scott’s Vaughn Roseman. Waukee’s Jonathan Ward fired 8-under 64 for medalist honors.

Waukee Northwest won the team race with 298, three shots ahead of West Des Moines Dowling and North Scott. Xavier placed fourth at 302, while the host Lions were sixth with 304.

The field included eight teams ranked in the top-15 of 4A.

“Every tournament is like a mini-state tournament,” Columbus said. “We’re able to lock horns with some really good teams.”

Comments: kj.pilcher@thegazette.com